Living In The Manure Pile

As Rich and I were walking in to church on Sunday I was complaining about all my physical ailments. "My hip is better but now my back and side hurt. I get a touch of the flu and then get fever blisters all over my lips." Rich is smart sometimes and doesn't answer me, I think he's learned to just listen and not put in his "two bits." Anyway as the opening song started it was of course a Thanksgiving song. The tears started to flow. A young man then got up and in his talk gave statistics about how many people don't have clean drinking water, live in poverty, go to bed hungry and on and on. Now I'm feeling really bad about all my complaints. Then a darling girl in our ward talked about Wilbur in the story "Charlotte's Web" and how sometimes we throw ourselves in the manure pile of our lives. Boy could I relate to that. After church I told her how much I enjoyed her talk and that I live in the manure pile most of the time. I know that I do have a few good qualities but I haven't developed the deep sense of gratitude I need for all the blessings in my life. No matter how bad I have it, there are millions of people who are worse off than me. On Sunday we had most of the family over for my Mom's birthday and my parents 60th wedding anniversary. Mindi worked all last week doing a scrapbook that represents all our family. My parents thought it was wonderful. As I went through all those pages of memories as a child and then through marriage and raising our family it was humbling. How thankful I am for righteous parents who love me. For the opportunity to be married to a honest hard working husband. To have four wonderful children who try everyday to be good parents themselves. The knowledge that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to be happy. At times I don't see the eternal perspective of my life and that gets me down. I thought this little quote was good:

Happy Moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.